The Unexpected Three
by textmagic
Summary: Heya... a new Fanfic where Percy and Annabeth along with Carter n Sadie Kane stumble across three unexpected visitors- wizards n witches. There are intros, good parts, secrets, dangers n of course some Percabeth. PLS PLS PLS REVIEW. New enemies, friends, adventure...a new QUEST
1. Chapter 1

**ANNABETH- POV**

Annabeth Chase and Sadie Kane sat together on the banks of the Thames in London, absorbed in deep conversation. Annabeth sat with her legs under her, listening to Sadie, who was animatedly talking about Carter and his basketball game with Khufu. To avoid embarrassment, Carter stood a few yards away with Percy Jackson, under the shade of a tree. Percy kept summoning the water to drench Carter and Carter kept dodging it, laughing. Even though they were in London, Percy and Annabeth's friend, Hazel Levesque, on being requested, had modified the mist so that the surroundings looked like some quaint countryside.

Suddenly, a bang was heard on the opposite bank with a blast of white light. Holy Hera!

Zeus' thunderbolt, thought Percy. While he debated it, the girls ran up to them, bewildered. Carter and Percy stepped forward by instinct. Annabeth placed her hands on their shoulders and shook her head. _No… wait._ It was silent and still for a moment, just like it had been when the Earth Mother had risen. The noise had long died away but the light still shone as bright.

All of a sudden, three dark figures stumbled out of the light. "A portal", Sadie murmured. Carter nodded. His fingers tightened around hers. He had started becoming a protective brother. Sadie jerked it away and grasped her staff. Carter followed suit. Riptide was long ready in Percy's hand. His other hand grasped Annabeth's who held her blade tightly. Annabeth turned her eyes towards the light, which had almost died out. Three figures stood up and brushed themselves with their hands. They seemed to be holding a sort of stick….. a wand. On looking closely, there were two boys and a girl. One boy marched forward and pointed his stick at the place where the light had been.

"Stupid fry!" he seemed to cry out. A beam of green light shout out from the tip of his wand and an unfortunate bird on the way stopped flying and dropped to the ground. The girl and the other boy held hands. Percy turned towards Carter and Sadie with a worried look.

"Do you magicians have any spell like _stupid fry_? "

"Of course we won't, Seaweed Brain", replied Sadie.

"Shut up, Sadie", retorted Annabeth. "Only I call him that."

Percy kissed Annabeth on the cheek and then said, "Okay. Enough of this."

He turned towards the river and closed his eyes, his hands raised. The water responded to the son of Poseidon and withdrew on both sides. Percy seemed to murmur a small _no._ The bed of the river slowly rose up to form a road leading to where the strangers were standing.

"Fast, I can't hold this for long".

Carter and Sadie went first. Soon, they would reach the other side. Annabeth looked worriedly towards Percy. However, she jogged to the other side. Just as she stepped onto the other bank, the bed sunk in and the water regained its original position. Percy gave them a thumbs up and plunged into the water. Carter and Sadie exchanges worried glances.

"Er… Annabeth…"

Without turning towards them, she replied,

"He'll be fine". Even then, she was worried. If they required a fight, Percy would be too weak. The strangers seemed to know good magic. Just then, Percy emerged from the water. The water seemed to have refreshed him.

"Poseidon", he said.

Annabeth nodded understandingly. Poseidon was a good parent, considering he was a good. He did not directly interfere with what Percy did, like Athena did. Why did she feel that Percy was not up to the mark? Percy broke this stream of thought.

"Look, there", he said pointing at the strangers. They had not seemed to notice the river, but the four had surely been noticed. They could see one of the boys saying something and pointing towards them. Now, they were seen more clearly. The boy pointing was red haired. His face was freckled. Along with him, the girl had blond curls. The other boy's hair was ruffled up and untidy and he wore huge glasses. All of them had those sticks in their hands. They looked dishevelled and tired. The girl had a sling bag on her shoulder which seemed too small to hold anything. The four approached them. Percy asked…

"Who are you?"

The boy with the ruffled hair retorted, "Who are _you?_"

"I am Percy Jackson, camp Half Blood, Long Island."

The boy seemed to be taken aback by this answer. Annabeth saw a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Maybe he kept his hair that way…. To cover it.

The girl stepped forward and said," Camp _what_?"

Percy said, "I tell you everything but first you tell me… who are you all… monsters in disguise …no… do you mean harm? And what was that magic you did? Why are you here?"

Annabeth felt sorry for them and sweetly said, "We are not enemies. Tell us who you are."

The freckled boy replied," I am Ronald Weasley. You can call me Ron. I am…"

The scarred boy nudged him and hissed, "RON!" "Harry!" immediately stopped the girl. She looked at Annabeth and said, "I am Hermione Granger and this is Harry Potter."

"The Boy Who Lived", added Ron.

"Shut up!", Harry and Hermione said together.

"You said, continued Hermione ,"You were from camp….er… half-blood? What do you mean. Who are you?"

"I'm Percy. This is my girlfriend Annabeth Chase. These are Carter and Sadie Kane. Brother and sister. Egyptian magicians. We are demigods."

Seeing the bewildered look on their faces, he continued

"Demigods- Half god, half hero. Not praising ourselves.. That is what we are called…heroes. Annabeth and I are demigods. Children of Greek gods… Zeus, Poseidon…bla bla… yeah… they exist. New York. I er… am the son of Poseidon and Annabeth is a daughter of Athena".

"Er… wait," said Hermione. "Were not Poseidon and Athena. If I am right…. Enemies?"

"No, that was long ago.", Percy replied and put on a determined look and held Annabeth's hand. Annabeth's heart filled with longing and love. Annabeth would have liked to punch her mother at that time but Percy was just awesome.

"Wait", said Harry." "So, you mean… you are not our type. You are not.."

"Right", snapped Percy. Ever since Nico had made his confession, Percy had become touchy. Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder and said" The Greek gods shifted from Olympus to America, where the flame is , they had kids with mortals- like...us. There are many more of us. That is a um… small introduction."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

ANNABETH

The red haired buy said something more intelligent than what Percy had ever said, "Gah! Err..um..so….? Goodness! Merlin's beard…Leave it!"

He turned towards carter.

"and you?"

"We are Egyptian magicians, from the House of Life. Ever heard if it?", Carter asked hopefully. Both Ron and Harry turned towards Hermione. She glared at them and then said,

"Er…Isis, Set, Horus and stuff- you are from-uh?"

Ron and Harry whispered, "Girls!"

"Yeah, now _ your_ turn."

Harry volunteered.

"Er…. We are wizards. I mean..Ron and I are wizards. Hermione, here, is a witch."

"What?", exclaimed Carter, Annabeth and Sadie.

"Er, a female wizard. You can say. We study magic…the thing you do with wands. At….. Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ever heard of Albus Dumbledore ? He is the headmaster."

Percy, suddenly, like out of a trance, asked.

"So…. What you did with your wand….stupid-fry…..what kind of magic is that?"

"Not stupid fry, stupefy!," retorted Harry.

Afraid that her boyfriend might get stupid fried, Annabeth said, "Percy heard wrong. So did us. What kind of spell is stub… Stupefy?"

Harry calmed down and replied.

"Stupefy is a stunning spell. To stun….er… stop people…. Bad people from doing things. You saw that bird, it was an accident, but that is what happens to humans too. They don't die, but remain stunned for enough time for you to run or complete your mission. There are many others, like "Expelliarmus", a disarming spell, "Accio", a summoning spell and so on.

Harry stepped closer to Annabeth.

"The others did not notice but I did. Percy did something to the water. He kind of…controlled it. How?"

"Um…he is a son of Poseidon, the water god. He can summon water, control oceans, breathe in water and not get wet."

However, she did not say that summoning the river bed was something he had never done before. The river bed was the earth, was Gaia. It did not seen right. Sadie seemed to sense Annabeth's tension.

"Er…Harry?", spoke up Sadie. "Can I have Annabeth for a minute? You too, Percy. "She glanced at Carter, who nodded. _ I'll take car_e.

Percy glanced toward Annabeth and raised his eyebrows. _What?_ Annabeth shrugged he shoulders and walked with Sadie. Percy followed.

"Percy. Annabeth", said Sadie, hiding her gaze.

"I know what you are worried about. Percy summoning the river bed. I did it. I mean….. I did not want to cause any harm. I only wanted to help. I am so sorry. I…."

Suddenly, Sadie felt hands on her shoulders and looked up. Percy squeezed her shoulders and looked at her in the eye.

"Don't work yourself up. Just tell me how you did it", he said kindly.

Sadie gulped and calmed down a little.

"For us Egyptians, The sky is the goddess Nut and the earth the god Geb. I once did Geb a favour of delivering a letter for him from Nut. I just asked for a return gift."

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other. A wave of relief seemed to flow between them.

"Sadie", Percy said with a wink. "Let us go help Big brother".

The three strode back to the rest.

Hermione, determined to put up a conversation, asked,

"Annabeth, you- the daughter of Athena, can do- what?"

"My powers lie in wisdom, strategy, planning, thinking.. and on."

Harry and Ron suppressed a grin and said, louder than before, "GIRLS!"

Good glares this girl gives, thought Annabeth, after Hermione regained her composure after another one.

Ron asked suddenly, "So what do you do….I mean, you fight what?"

"Monsters, evil giants ,sometimes Cyclops, Titans … Blab la bla. You?"

"We fight You-Know-Who", said Ron.

"No, we don't know who," replied Carter, bewildered.

Harry butted in.

"Ron, can't you say his name. We fight this evil wizard- Voldemort ."Ron winced.

It seemed to Annabeth that there was a long story behind this animosity, the way Harry's eyes had become fiery while talking of the wizard.

Harry kept talking.

"We were escaping him and his snake, Nagini. It was then we saw this portal, shining in the middle of nowhere. Voldemort followed us halfway into the portal and then lost us."

A white flash shone behind them, just like it had done when Harry and the rest had made their appearance. The light disappeared with a bang.

A long, slithery scaly creature appeared and bared its fangs.

"No….. Nagini!", Ron stammered.

"RUN!", shouted Harry.

"NO WAIT!", shouted Percy.

He was ready with Riptide in his hands.

"Step-back", he ordered.

Nagini was still a little far. Percy closed his eyes and spread his arms. The water of the river rose, slowly, swirling. And formed itself into a whirlpool, swishing turbulently around the centre. Percy raised his hands and the cataract descended on the advancing Nagini. The snake got caught in the torrent and flowed towards Percy. Percy tightened his grip around Riptide and brought it down on Nagini. It passed clean through the snake's body.

_No! thought Percy._

Nagini recovered, bared er fangs and lunged at Percy. Percy leaped sideways and flung himself on the ground. Sadie stepped forward and shouted "Ha-Di!" and aimed the spell towards Nagini. Blue hieroglyphs shone. They failed to blast the snake to pieces but got it severely injured. Nagini writhed on the ground.

Annabeth unsheathed her blade and moved forward. She and Percy did their regular battle performance.

_I go one way, you go another…_

They tried to confuse the snake. Annabeth shouted, "Hermione!", who screamed, pointing her wand at the snake, "Stupefy!"

Nagini froze and the scaly body dropped still to the ground.

"Wow", whispered Ron. Harry nodded, appreciating. Immediately, he said,

"Look, we don't have much time. We need to run."

Harry ran a little way and all of them followed. He then told them to hold hands. Annabeth knew that they were about to disappear, just like the children of Hades did- shadow travel. She just knew it. A shudder ran through her spine. Her Athenian instincts said _ Now. _

Annabeth felt herself getting squeezed to death. She could feel Percy's hand around hers and gripped it tightly. It was the hand that held Riptide, the hand that killed Kronos, the hand of the son of Poseidon, the greatest demigod ever.


	3. chapter 3

**ANNABETH POV**

Just as Annabeth felt she would get pulverized to death, they tumbled out of nowhere onto soft grass. Percy's hand was still in hers. She shook it off, got up and tried to take in her surroundings. They seemed familiar but she was still too disoriented with her first experience of apparating. This did not happen when children of Hades shadow travelled. This disappearing saga perplexed her. She slowly got hold of her surroundings. Percy, Harry, Hermione and Carter stood up and brushed themselves, too. Percy and Carter, too, looked a bit groggy, but Annabeth did not worry. It was nothing. Maybe until a year ago, she would have taken more time to recover, but since her escapade in Tartarus and staying with Percy, her immunity to strange things had sure increased.

As soon as Annabeth, observed her surroundings, she grasped the location. Her realisation fell like a bombshell on her. _They had travelled so much….Di Immortales! Even Nico Di Angelo would collapse after such a long travel and here these wizard people seemed quite alright._

The grassy greens spread up to the farthest Annabeth could see. They were at the base of a small hillock. Few shrubs swayed in the wind and the river nearby made the familiar lap-lap noise. On all four sides, black storm clouds had overcome the sky, but weather at the place they were seemed quite all right. At the top of the hill, something shone brightly and seemed to radiate energy.. Annabeth was reminded of the famous demigod proverb- _all that glitters is not the golden fleece._

But did not apply when you could see the Golden Fleece, tied to Thalia's (old) Tree.

She swiftly turned her head towards Percy, who ,too, seemed to have recognised the surroundings.

_Camp Half-Blood,_ he mouthed.

He looked at her with his eyes wide open and he did one of his question-mark-head-moves. Annabeth shrugged. Percy approached her with a confused look on his face. Just as he was about to say something, Carter exclaimed," Where is Sadie? Sadie? SADIE!", he turned towards Harry and screamed ,"WHERE IS SADIE? WHERE IS MY SISTER?"

Harry looked around bewildered, with a look as confused as Carter, shook his head so very slightly and scanned the surroundings. He was about to reply when Hermione squealed.

"Harry! Oh! Harry, Even Ron is not there! Even he is missing! Oh! Harry! What happened?"

Harry looked tensed as he tried to calm both Carter and Hermione down.

"Ron never could apparate perfectly. Many a times, he got splinched. If he left hands while apparating, it could have happened. And Carter, I am sorry about your sister, but I do feel that even she lost her way. She was holding Ron's hand. There are possibilities she could be with Ron. But if she is not…"

"IF SHE IS NOT?", Carter yelled. "_What do you mean if she is not? _She is my sister. You get it? And I love her. I am responsible for her. I don't care if your stupid apparition went wrong or your fool of a friend Ron caused my sister to vanish, but I want Sadie back and I have made myself very _very_ clear."

Annabeth had never seen Carter in such a rage. To her, he was always the friendly African- American boy with bright grins and a treat for her whenever they met. This form of Carter seemed different to her, almost scared her. Maybe that little bit of Horus in him gave him this passion. However, even she disliked the idea of Sadie stuck with that stranger Ron, whom they had hardly known for a few minutes. She did not stop Carter. Carter raged on.

"I wonder WHY we told you strangers, you cheats, all about ourselves and put us in such a risky condition. WHY DID WE EVER TRUST YOU AND COME ONTO THIS UNKOWN PLACE? If Sadie…..If anything happens to her, if she gets stuck in the Duat forever like some doomed baboon god, IT IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Carter raged on.

This rage of Carter's brought tears to her eyes. It reminded her of the time when Percy had lost his memory and had gone to Camp Jupiter. At that time, she would never reject an offer of punching Juno ( Hera…whatever) in the eye. She could understand Carter's pain. She tried to push back her tears but they took over and flowed down her cheek. Percy quickly came to her side and held her by her shoulders, giving her support, physical and moral. He looked at her with reassuring eyes and then turned to Carter. "Carter, don't you worry. I know this place and will fetch help. We will find Sadie in…", he hesitated. "In no time", Annabeth completed from him. After his rage, Carter seemed shattered and nodded blindly at Percy.

Percy put on a tougher tone and addressed Harry. Hermione looked that even she was about to break down. Her eyes were red.

"Harry Potter, we don't know who you all are and considered you to be friends. I agree that your friend Ron got lost but that is your problem. It was your idea to run out of that place and do your magic stuff and YOU are solely responsible for Sadie getting lost. If ….. anything happens, you face the wrath of the son of Poseidon. And you have to get Sadie back. Until then you go nowhere out of my sight. Clear?"

Percy spoke like a judge as if delivering a sentence to a criminal. However it seemed to get the desired result. Harry nodded, his eyes blazing. Annabeth could not understand what the fierceness was about. However, he seemed preoccupied with Hermione, who was saying something, with a desperate look on his face. Percy turned to Carter.

"Carter, chill and welcome to Half Blood Hill". He grinned.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and said.

"Carter, don't listen to Seaweed Brain. This is Long Island. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

This perked Carter up.

"This is… your camp? So….. you can fetch help? Chiron, Clarisse….here? SO, we can get back Sadie?"

Annabeth and Percy nodded , encouragingly. Hermione seemed to have heard.

She got up from her mourning and said.

"Look, we are sorry. We accept we may have been at fault.."

"Hermione!..", Harry shook his head, stopping her. Hermione shook her head and continued.

"Yeah, it may have been our mistake and we are sorry that your friend Sadie has gone…"

Carter winced at the word _ gone._

"But you need to realise, even our friend Ron is missing. Even he has disappeared and while I understand your worry for Sadie, even we worry for Ron. He is our friend and for some time, maybe, even yours. "

Percy stepped forward and said.

"Hermione is right. I am sorry if I said too much but we have to work together. That is the key. Remember Annabeth, when we defeated Gaia when the Greeks and Romans fought together. And even Sadie had once said that when gods and magicians worked together, you defeated Chaos. We have to settle differences and work together. And NOT cause each other harm".

Annabeth knew what Percy was saying was right and suppressed a smile. Rely on Percy to pour oil on troubled waters. She ruffled his hair with her fingers and said.

"Seaweed Brain is right for once. Harry, Hermione. Look at that pine tree up there. That is Camp Half- Blood, the place we were talking about.. You come with us… freshen up. Talk to Chiron, our…..head friend? And then we will set out on a proper quest- to find Sadie and Ron. Now come"

For once, Annabeth felt as persuasive as Piper when she charm-spoke. Did Aphrodite lend in a hand? _ Impossible! _ However, the others seemed to like her idea. It was the best they could do. Even if it was not, they had no other option. Annabeth nodded, assuring, at Carter, held Percy's hand and led the way up to the shimmering fleece on the pine tree- Camp Half-Blood's magical borders.


	4. Chapter 4

**RON POV**

Ron Weasley tumbled out of nowhere onto soft, velvety sand. This was like the 20th time he had apparated and the 5th or 6th time he had ended up at the right place.

_Or that is what he thought._

He saw a figure at some distance, which was reassuring. He had landed on his stomach, flat like a penguin. He stood up, inspected himself and brushed down his clothes and hair. He squinted at the person in front of him. She was…um… Sadie Kane. No one else was visible anywhere around him.

"Hey …. Sadie?!" he ventured out. Sadie glared at him, shrugged and gestured _What?_

He looked at his surroundings, scanning the area. The place they were standing was a sandy one, with soft velvety sand inviting to crash and sleep on. The day seemed too long. However, it was not time to sleep. The sun shone bright overhead. The sand at their feet ran a little way to their right and left and wet a stone wall, which started from the ground, riding vertically like steps of the Coliseum.

Above them the stone arched like the top of a dome to a little height above Ron's head such that he would bang himself if he jumped a little high. The stone was green in places where moss had infested the place. The inner wall on the stone had pretty little wedges which looked like shelves of some house. Ron felt that the cave itself looked promising enough for a house. The surroundings looked vaguely familiar but before Ron could place the area Sadie exclaimed.

"Where are we? Where are the others? Percy, Percy! Annabeth, Carter!"

Ron, too, suddenly realised that the cave was empty except for Sadie and him. He turned towards the entrance of the cave, from where sunlight shone and lit the wet and dark cave up.

"Harry! Hermione! Hermione? Oh no! merlin's Beard! HERMIONE! Where are you? Hermione! Oh! No, NO NO!"

Grassy greens spread forever in front of them, mildly rolling like a plain. Rock and roll plain, Harry had described it when they were previously here. Ron now knew this place. On the horizon, a makeshift, strange house with a long chimney could be seen.

_The Quibbler. Luna Lovegood's House._

Hopes rose high. Ron was about to say something when Sadie cut him.

"Hey, RONALD WEASLEY! Where are we and what the world are we doing here? You brought us here, right? There can be no other way we are here. You know what? You have entangled us in an utterly fine mess."

Her golden locks swayed when she spoke. She looked totally cross, how nice she looked when she was cross, thought Ron. Sadie looked at Ron, expecting an answer. Then she rolled her eyes, exclaimed, "Boys!", and plopped herself down on the sand. She cross her legs folded her hands and muttered something. Ron kept looking at her. Suddenly, Sadie turned to Ron and asked, "what?"

This clear brought him back from his dreamland thoughts.

He looked defiant and replied.

"I thought girls did all the knitting"

"SHUT UP!"

"Will you listen to me? I did not…"

"NO!"

"Come on, Sadie, at…."

"NO!"

"Please…"

"NO!"

"Then you do the magic. I give up! I…"

"NO!"

"What?!"

"Look, you brought us into this fine mess and you are doing all the entangling. I don't care where you get your needle and scissor from but I want to get out of here."

_Oh! _ Ron slumped. He did not even know where the others were and certainly did not fancy spending time with a grumpy girl fascinated by knitting. And she said Boys! Ugh!

He took out his wand and cleared his throat, to grab Sadie's attention.

"_Hmmmm mm."_

Sadie looked up. He saw her through the corner of his eye and immediately looked in the front. He knew what he was going to do was impossible, but Sadie was even more impossible and she refused to do a single thing. He gloated in his head. _Girls! YES!_

He readied himself for the spell and yelled, "Accio Hermione! Accio Harry! Accio Carter, Percy, Annabeth!"

He said all this with a serious look on his face. He meant to be serious. He turned to Sadie, who had now got up, looking triumphant.

"Err…" Ron said. "I think there was a little mistake. If I can try once again, maybe….."

Sadie shook her hand, indicating _Leave it! You boys are hopeless. _

She gave him one of her I-told-you-so looks, which Hermione often gave him. In many ways, Sadie reminded Ron terribly of Hermione. Sadie was blaming him. She did not realise that even he was stranded with a girl like her!

Sadie seemed to understand his turmoil. Her expression softened and she indicated _Wait. Let me try._

Ron nodded.

Sadie closed her eyes. It seemed to Ron that she was it some deep thought, she could see something different from the surroundings. He waited patiently ill she finished, scratching his head. Sadie seemed to take her time and so he sat down.

For the first time, he noticed how soft the sand was, like velvet. HE sunk into the sand. Sadie was still preoccupied with her thinking abilities. Good! Let her take her time, thought Ron. He lay down, his head facing the stone ceiling above. He kept staring at it blankly. Would have Harry and Hermione even realised that he was missing? Had the rest, too, got scattered or was it only that Sadie and him were lost? Would they ever meet their friends again? Ron terribly missed Hermione. It was maybe because of her only that he had agreed to accompany them on mission You-Know-Who,

Not that he did not want to help Harry, but he had first considered the fact that the day he had left Hogwarts could have been his last day at the castle.

"Hey, Rooon!" Sadie interrupted his flow of thought.

"What? Finished your girls-can-do-great-thinking-stuff?"

"Shut up. Look, we need to talk."

"Talk? What talk? I don't even know you! Listen, I have a plan. See that house in the distance, uh? That is Luna Lovegood's house. She is a friend. We go there, get help and a way to find Harry and the others, get it? Now come."

Ron started to proceed out of the cave.

"Wait!" shouted Sadie.

"What do you think; you can get away with this? How do _I not know_ if you are a friend or enemy? If this is a trap?  
"What do you want me to do", replied Ron.

Sadie smirked.

"Like I said, we _need_ to talk. Now, you sit."

Sadie sat down, and Ron seated himself in front of her. Irony, he thought, that I am being made to sit like some pet animal in front of my mistress. She shook the thought off.

"What?", Ron crankily asked.

"Look", said Sadie. Ron looked up in surprise. Sadie had spoken in such a soft voice; a voice he had never known could be produced by her vocal cords. He could now, for the first time, sense the gravity in her voice, the pain. Her voice seemed to signify what she had gone through, it was so mature. Ron felt respect forming in him for Sadie. This cooled him down.

"Hmm?" , he asked.

"See, I bet the rest would have already noticed that we are missing. They would have started the search. I know it, I know Carter, and he will come. But till then, you gotta accept, there is nothing we can do, unless you have some magic power to send a message to someone."

"Nay, nothing that I know. Can't do anything." Replied Ron. "But…."

"We can't stay sitting and brooding like this for long. We have to work together."

"Okay, Sadie, but work for what?"

" That snake, Nagini, I have a feeling we may be attacked again. Especially both of us, being defenceless. There is only _one way_ for us to meet the others and survive this."

Ron shuddered at the word 'survive'. He said

"But surely you, as a magician and I , a wizard have gone through tougher times. Then?"

"Ï know Ron, but that was different. There were people, many people ready to sacrifice themselves at the hands of enemy before coming to us. And then, we have to do something until the others find us. We can't be sitting doing nothing, can we?"

"Of course we can't, Sadie, but consider the consequences. If we keep roaming around, how will they ever find us? And the, we need help. I tell you , we will go to Luna's house and seek help."

"NO."

"Why?"

" Gods of Egypt, don't you realise? This is a quest. We have to do it ourselves. And no way _am I_ taking some other's help."

Ron got up, irritated.

"Seriously, Sadie, this is what you wanted to talk. Don't want help? Well, I am going. Find the rest on your own."

"And where will you go, red-hair? You don't even know where the others are? Don't you get it…. We have to do it together."

"Girl, you _are_ confusing me."

"Sit."

Ron had no other option. He added _ extremely persuasive _to his description of Sadie.

"You know, Ron, you can't get out of a problem if you keep battling the one's you need to work with. I am not saying this. Isis is. And for once, she is right."

"Isis? ", asked Ron. "That rainbow goddess?"

"Heavens, no. That is Iris, Greek. This is Isis. Mother of Horus. Egyptian goddess. I am her host. Err…I mean…"

"What?"

"Okay, Ron, I think we need to be frank with each other now. I tell you all about myself and so do you. And promise, no cheating whatsoever."

"Hmmm. And if you do cheat?"

"Turn me into whatever you want. In turn, if you cheat…. Better not tell you." Sadie said with a wicked grin.

"Let us start."

Ron thought, Isis sure has good hold over Sadie.

Sadie started telling the story of her life to Ron, how her father had sacrificed himself to become Osiris' host, how Isis had chosen her and Horus had chosen Carter, how they had defeated Set, Apophis, Sadie went on to speak about her complicated life, with no answers to questions mortals perceived to be normal. It seemed to Ron that Sadie needed to pour out all this in front of someone. It seemed as if she had been relieved of some heavy burden. Ron's problems were nothing in front of this. Nevertheless, he spoke.

He spoke of how he had met Harry for the first time, his best friend and all his years at Hogwarts. When he finished speaking, he felt that at last he was meeting someone except Ron and Hermione who knew him perfectly, inside out. He now trusted Sadie and she trusted him too.

Ron asked," Err, Sadie, _ why_ did we do this?"

Sadie stood up and stared out of the cave. Ron, for the first time, noticed how dark it had become, The day had almost ended. Chill air blew into the cave, instantly chilling the surroundings.

"We had to do it to understand each other completely in adversary, which I was sure we will face. Danger can come in at any moment. You gotcha be ready. Then danger is nothing."

Ron was surprised at Sadie speaking so mature. Nevertheless, he got up and stood beside Sadie. She seemed to be in deep thought. Some distance away, Ron saw some hooded figures pointing towards them and advancing. Sadie suddenly clutched Ron's hand.

"Ron. We can't do it. We will lose. We will die. We can't… no we can't."

Ron looked at her surprised. Her eyes shone with signs of desperation, as if she had foreseen some bad event. Even Ron had started to fell down in the dumps but at least he knew the reason why. He raised his wand and shouted

"Expecto Patronum!"

'What?", asked Sadie.

Ron replied, "Didn't you say, danger is nothing. Come on, magic girl."

He winked at her and she smiled. He held her hand tight, clutching his wand in another and led the way out of the cave, towards the approaching Dementors.


End file.
